Key Teaching Methodologies in Art

Methodologies are different activities teacher use to aid student learning. Art has many methodologies that are student specific.

1. Brainstorming:  When introducing a new topic, teachers can use brainstorming sessions to 

determine what students already know / wish to learn. Stimulates fluent and flexible thinking, and

can also be used to extend problem solving skills. Especially useful at the start of a project, where students can use a combination of words and sketching to think 'visually' about their topic. Allows for students to easily explore a topic through a visual means. Brainstorms now form a core part of the new visual art for junior cert, and students are being encouraged to document the research process completely in their sketchpads, a brainstorm is the perfect example of them.

2. Conference:  Provides teachers with an opportunity to guide and support learners, and a forum for

students to demonstrate their learning through discussion, sketchbooks or portfolios. A classroom based discussion is the perfect example of this, where students and teachers alike can come together to discuss ideas equally. Also creates a safe, holistic enviroment, which allows teachers to support students.

3. Co-operative learning : Allows students to work as a team to accomplish a common learning goal. group work is a prime example of this, where students are tasked with working to a brief. Group work also aids development of social and inerpersonal skills.

4. Discussion:  A cooperative strategy through which students explore their thinking, respond to ideas, process information and articulate their thoughts in exchanges with peers and teachers. Can be used to clarify understanding of ideas. The emphasis is placed on talking and listening to each other. Students can make connections between ideas and experience, and reflect on  a variety of meanings and interpretations of texts and experiences. 

5. Experimenting : Central to the arts, used in making connections between concrete and abstract. Requires students to investigate, test, explore, manipulate, solve problems, make decisions and organise information in  a hands on way. This encourages students to use co-operative skills in interpreting and communicating findings. This enhances student motivation, understanding, and active involvement that can be intitated by the teacher / student. Students need to be given the  'safe' enviroment in which to experiment with materials / ideas, they need to undestand that there is nothing wrong with failing, in fact a fail is the first act in learning!

6. Focused Exploration: This method of instruction in which students use materials and equipment available in the classroom in ways of their choosing. the teacher observes and listens while students are exploring, and provides guidance as needed, using information gathered from assessment.

7. Free Exploration:  Key instructional activity that is initiated by students, using the materials available in the classroom in ways of their choosing. Teachers observe and listen as part of ongoing assessment while students are exploring freely but do not guide the exploration as they do during focused exploration.

8.  Oral Explanation:  May be used to clarify thinking, to justify reasoning and to communicate their understanding of the arts. Also good to develop students oral literacy and communication skills. Especially good at the end of a project, when students are giving presentations about their projects.

9. Role play:  Allows students to stimulate a variety of situations, using language for different purposes. Students can practise and explore alternative solutions to situations outside the classroom.

10. Sketching to learn: By making quick sketches, students can represent ideas and their responses to them during or immediately following a lesson. It is often used during a listening / viewing experience in order to help students understand new concepts.